Jesus the Healer Part III – Churchill-Gilford Pastoral Charge

“Jesus the Healer, Part III”
The Transfiguration Feb 11, 2024
Churchill and Gilford United Churches
Krista M. Moore Scriptures:
2 Kings 2:1–12 Elijah is taken up into heaven
Mark 9:2–9 The Transfiguration of Jesus

Introduction to the Scriptures:
Elijah was a great prophet of Israel and worked many miracles. He parted the waters and destroyed false prophets by the command of God. But it was time for him to go. He would return to God soon. His protégé Elisha followed him everywhere– and was preparing to replace him.

Elisha is so impressed with his mentor Elijah that he asked for a double portion of his spirit before he returned to Heaven. Elisha had a strong faith. He believed Elijah was sent by God. And soon his faith would be rewarded…

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus had done many healings and miracles, like walking on water, healing the sick, casting out demons, and making the blind see. But many still did not believe.

Six days before he goes up the mountain to show John, James, and Peter his full glory, he asks his 12 disciples this question: “Who do you say that I am?”

Jesus was testing them…

Some thought he had the spirit of John the Baptizer who had just been killed by Herod.

Some thought he had the spirit of Elijah who ascended into heaven on a chariot of fire.

Only Peter answered correctly:
“You are the Messiah.”

But Peter would soon doubt him again, as we know just before the crucifixion he will deny Jesus three times.

Jesus was preparing his disciples for something great – and terrible. They would have to have faith that would move mountains. But would they believe and follow him?…

MY HEALING STORIES
For the past 2 weeks I have shared stories of how Jesus the Healer has changed my life, and how I’ve experienced many healings or miracles.

My purpose is to reveal Jesus as still active in our lives today.

Let me finish a story from last week:

STORY 1: DRIVING HOME TO ALLISTON –
I was driving home from Markham to Alliston through Toronto, and it was getting late. I was working full-time, and commuting from downtown Toronto to Markham to Alliston while I finished my degree. I was dead tired. I was really pushing myself.

I was probably listening to one of those inspirational cassette tapes – yes cassettes – it was the 90s! And I had one in my little neon. Well, it mustn’t have been very interesting, because I started to drift off… literally, from the road.

Suddenly I felt a strong whack! on my forehead. Which woke me up instantly. Just in time to avoid oncoming traffic. I was veering onto the wrong side of the road.

But where did the tap come from?

There was no one in the car with me.

SCRIPTURE
In the Old Testament, Elisha witnesses Elijah ascending to heaven in a chariot of fire – a true revelation that he came from God. It was also a revelation for his young protege to know that he was supposed to carry on the work after him.

Elisha had to believe before he could receive the power of Elijah. In the Gospel message today, Peter, John and James get to experience the Transfiguration of Jesus – the final revelation that Jesus is the Son of God.

It was a great revelation. Not just of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, but for those who witnessed it to become a part of that great work – they would have to carry on after Jesus was crucified, work miracles, heal the sick and raise the dead.

That was no small task.

It would take a strong faith for them to keep going.

SOMETIMES GOD MUST DO SOMETHING AMAZING TO GET OUR ATTENTION SO WE WILL DO THE WORK OF GOD

STORY: ELIZABETH AND I START HEALING CIRCLES My friend Elizabeth and I witnessed some amazing things. We had seen someone heal of a lung issue and show up one week later, others emotionally heal and become healers themselves.

But nothing prepared me for the sudden work of channeling, where the Spirit of God, or Jesus comes through me directly to speak or heal others.

SCENT OF ROSES
One time, I was at Elizabeth’s house, and we were receiving some powerful energy. I got nervous, thinking maybe it was something negative. I wanted to protect us, so I prayed to God for protection.

Suddenly, I got the overwhelming scent of ROSES wash over me. This became a sign for me of something heavenly, not of this earth. I felt peaceful and it affirmed to me that the power was coming directly from God.

HEALING CIRCLE – MOTHER MARY HEALS A WOMAN At another healing circle at my house, I prayed to God and Jesus, and I suddenly felt the presence of Mother Mary come down over me. She walked me over to a participant and wanted me to lay my hands on her chest. I asked permission and then channeled the healing and moved on.

Later the participant told me she had been experiencing heart pain for 2 weeks – I was surprised! – She said the pain went away. I made her promise she would go to the doctor. Two weeks later she told me the pain did not return.

TUSCANY – THE WOMAN WITH CANCER IS HEALED Out of this healing work, I was invited to co-facilitate retreats in Tuscany, Italy. It was and is as incredible as it sounds.

On my last trip there, a woman came who had cancer twice. She was doing everything possible to overcome it. She was attending her medical appointments, following doctor’s orders, and had adopted a raw vegan diet, which was no small feat in Italy, let me tell you. She was also interested in healing and attended all our healing sessions.

One afternoon we were all in the rose garden near the olive grove. The participants stood around her and began to pray and put their hands on her.

One participant who was a nurse later told us she could suddenly see with her internal vision inside the woman’s body; at first, she saw the cancer – it was grey.

Then she felt and saw this healing energy move through the woman’s body until she could mentally see the tissues return to a healthy “pink.”

The nurse opened her eyes and couldn’t believe what had happened. She had never done this before!

Toward the end of the retreat, the woman with the cancer had left and returned to Toronto for an MRI appointment. We were all sitting at the outdoor dining table (just like in the movies) having a lovely lunch when one participant jumped up with her phone and showed us a text message from this woman in Toronto. It said, with many exclamation points, “The doctors could not find any cancer!!!!!!” The medical team thought they had done the scan wrong or had the wrong person’s file, but no, indeed it was hers, and the cancer was gone. We rejoiced!

I saw her years later and the cancer did not return.

SCRIPTURE
I know this all must sound like a bunch of woo-woo or coincidence. Maybe the medical treatments worked?

But even the medical doctors were shocked. They did not expect a miracle or believe in it. But she did.

Sometimes we must be there to see or feel it for ourselves. Just like Elisha who felt the power of Elijah and followed him everywhere and watched him perform miracles.

OR John, James and Peter who saw Jesus glowing like the sun and talking to Moses and Elijah of long ago.

A miracle seems impossible until it happens to you.

But no one can make you believe anything.

Faith comes from God. It is a gift. Remember?

When God wants to get our attention, God can do anything God wants to.

Even increase our faith if it is waning…

STORY: FATHER MIKE
Let me tell you one last story of how I overcame my doubt. After a few years of doing healing circles, I felt myself moving closer to my Christian roots, and wanting to proclaim my faith from the mountaintops.

It was a hard time. Because many who were in my circles were spiritual but not religious. And I wanted to talk about Jesus! Then, I felt God calling me to enter the ministry.

And I was even more confused. I felt conflicted.

Did this mean I would have to give up my spiritual gifts? Were they wrong? Were they compatible with Scripture, with the teachings of Jesus? Would the church accept me, and worse, did they even believe in miracles anymore?

I wanted to know if I was crazy or if it was real. So I went on a five-day silent retreat at a Catholic or Jesuit spiritual retreat centre. (Now if I could keep silent for 5 days, that would be a miracle in itself!)

Seriously, I needed spiritual guidance. So I booked a private session with a Jesuit priest named Father Mike. I figured the Catholic church was the authority on miracles, and if they thought it was real, then I would accept it. But I was worried.

So I met with Father Mike. (This was one of the few times I was allowed to speak.) He was older and very kind.

I told him everything that had happened to me. The healings, the channeling, the trips to Tuscany, the things I experienced and witnessed, all the woo-woo stuff. I was terrified he would judge me. Father Mike listened closely. Then he asked,

“Does Saint Michael ever come through?”

I was surprised. In fact he did. I knew him as Archangel Michael, the one who helped Jesus in the desert.
“Yes, Archangel Michael, or Saint Michael has come through.”

Then he asked, carefully, “does Virgin Mary ever come through?”

I said, remembering the healing circles at home and in Tuscany, “Yes, Mother Mary has come through several times…” Then his eyes opened wide, and he leaned in and asked, “What did she say?…” really interested.

So I told him, she said many things that were loving, and always healing for the person. I always felt the love.

Then I asked him what he thought. In other words, do you think I’m crazy??

Then he said, and I’ll never forget it.

“Who are you to judge God’s gifts? Only God decides who, when, and for how long. Keep doing what you’re doing and see what happens.”

I was so relieved.

CLOSING
You might wonder if I had doubts, why did God pick me to do this work? I’m not a perfect disciple or witness or person.

But neither were the disciples, or Elisha.

Elisha had perfect faith, but he was also ambitious and wanted to be greater than Elijah. Yet God granted him his wish.

The disciples had doubts and argued with each other about who was the greatest disciple; yet they all witnessed Jesus’s healings and miracles and were given the same power in the end.

LESSON: SOMETIMES GOD SHOWS US A MIRACLE TO GET OUR ATTENTION, TO SAVE US OR HEAL US,
AND SOMETIMES GOD ASKS US TO BE THE MIRACLE TO HEAL OTHERS IF WE ARE WILLING, even if it’s just showing up and listening to a person in need.

QUESTION: So, How can we increase our faith and believe in Jesus the Healer, or better yet, become that healer for others?

Krista’s 3 Things
1. Ask God or Jesus to heal you or your loved ones. Pray and believe.

2. Remember that healing may come in different ways. It may not be physical. It can be mental,
emotional, or spiritual. Sometimes it may come as guidance, forgiveness, peace, or love.

3. Be open to experiencing God’s healing firsthand. Maybe we’ll do a Healing service – so that you can come and experience healing yourself or be a healer for others. Let me know if you are interested.

CLOSING STORY: WOMAN IN A COMA RISES
In closing, remember that woman at my healing circle who had the heart pain that went away?

Well, something profound must have happened, because 7 years later, she wrote to me asking if I would help a friend of hers who was in a coma in the hospital.

The doctors had done everything they could. There was not much hope. But the family did not give up.

We were in Jamaica at the time, on vacation for a wedding.

At first I thought, why me? I don’t do this stuff anymore. I’m a United Church Minister! And my God, a coma? This was straight out of the Bible. I was more than nervous.

But I was willing. So I said, yes, and we did a healing circle for her on Skype. All her family joined, from around the world. Three days later, we were back in Toronto, and I got a text from my friend – saying the woman was sitting up in bed playing a game with her son and laughing! Her family was so grateful. I can’t explain how this happened or what it means. Maybe it was her excellent medical care, the love of her family, or all our prayers that lifted her up after three days.

Or maybe it was God working through all of us to give her her life back.

Faith matters, and our prayers are answered one way or another.

WHY DON’T WE ALL GET HEALED?
I know not everybody gets this kind of healing miracle, and that is hard. Some people die, despite our best efforts, and they return to God. Which is not a bad thing – maybe for them, that is a miracle.

But sometimes, God opens a window or a door into another realm… to show us what is possible.

Like Jesus, Moses and Elijah standing in their glory on a mountaintop…

OR the voice of God declaring Jesus is the Son of God…

Or Elijah ascending back into heaven in a chariot of fire….

It all seems so impossible. Yet miracles are still happening today. They are not always physical healings, after all even Jesus died. But death is not the end. God shows us glimpses of eternal life. Jesus the Healer is alive and well in you and me, if we believe. …. And that… is the end of our Epiphany.

May we have the faith of Elisha to move mountains…

May Jesus the Healer come close to us and reveal God’s power; healing our bodies, hearts, and minds…

May we believe that is possible….

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.